


Welcome To Walford

by benshearingaid



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-01-31 00:20:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21437086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benshearingaid/pseuds/benshearingaid
Summary: Forget everything you already know. Mick and Callum don't know each other, there was never a shooting that introduced Halfway to the world.Callum's older brother, Stuart lives in Albert Square. It's been years since they saw each other. Callum goes looking for him and ends up finding something else.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 5
Kudos: 57





	1. Welcome

Stepping through the metal turnstiles at the station, Callum Highway adjusted the strap of his backpack that was slung over one shoulder.  
He was new here.  
Brand new.  
He stared across at a pigeon, pecking at some left over chips in a discarded fish and chips wrapper. It completely consumed him, watching intently as the bird used it's head to open the paper wrapping out further.  
"Oi, move out the way, will ya?" A voice called out, moments away from slamming into him. It was a random man on the street but it shook Callum out of his day dream with a start.  
"Sorry." Callum mumbled, despite the fact the man had already gone.  
Callum continued, walking his way through the market stalls, all of which were covered in knock off clothes, disguised as designer, or fruit and vegetables that had probably been out for days.  
"Excuse me, I'm looking for my brother. Do you have any idea who he is?" Callum stopped, asking one of the stallholders.  
"You ain't even told me his name, darlin'!" An older woman remarked, the wrinkles beside her mouth turning up with amusement. She was small with short hair.  
"Oh right... yeah.... Stuart Highway. That's my brother." Callum confirmed.  
The woman sighed, a slight eye roll thrown in for good measure.  
"Stuart Highway, you say?" Another woman says, approaching from behind the older woman. This woman was head to toe in leopard print with bright red lipstick across her mouth. "He lives that way, but you'll probably find him in the Vic. That's the pub there on that corner." She pointed a long, red fingernail across and to the left.  
Callum nodded and thanked the women, heading towards the pub.  
He was thankful, really. He could do with a drink. The journey had been long and tiring but at least he'd get a comfy bed to sleep in tonight. Hopefully, anyway.  
He and his brother had been quite close when they were growing up, there was a fourteen year age gap between them, but Stuart always looked after Callum.  
But then their Father had started drinking more and causing more rows. Their Mother left and Stuart began to take the brunt of their Father, Jonno's, anger. There was always a fight, always an argument. Callum often hid in his room, under the covers with the lights off, hoping the door wouldn't be thrown open to involve him in the dispute.  
It often did.  
Callum shook away the memory and opened the door to the pub. It was warm and welcoming. And busy, for a lunchtime.  
"You're a fresh face. I don't know you." A man said from behind the bar.  
"Yeah.... My brother lives here, I've come looking for him." Callum replied, feeling awkward and out of place as every eye stared at him over their pint glass or pub lunch.  
"Oh, yeah? Who's that then?" The man asked, his strong cockney accent was obvious as he placed his hands around the beer pumps, standing at around six feet tall, just a few inches smaller than Callum.  
"Stuart. Stuart Highway?" Callum tilted his head to the side, hoping and praying the man behind the bar knew who his brother was.  
"Oh... yeah. Him. I'll be honest with ya, pal, he ain't welcome in here. Always causing trouble. And me wife, Linda, she don't really like that sort of thing, especially with our youngest about, if you know what I mean...."  
Callum's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He'd not seen Stuart in years and yet he'd turned into their Father.  
"Try E20. It's over the way, another boozer. Just... don't tell my L that I sent you over there without you buying a drink, she'll think I'm feeding the competition." The man smiled kindly.  
"Thank you... and sorry... about my brother. I dunno what he's done but he's... he's a good guy really." Callum said.  
"Don't you worry, me old mukka. You get and find him, alright?" He said, nodding his head towards the door.  
Callum followed the man's instructions and headed off to find E20. This was becoming a wild goose chase and he wasn't even sure it was worth it.  
If Stuart really was becoming Jonno, was there any point in finding him? For some sort of reunion that would, what? Inevitably end in tears?  
Callum sighed, unsure of what to do. He took a few seconds and carried on, sensing there was about to be some rain.  
At least he'd be dry. With a pint, hopefully. Even if he didn't find Stuart, surely an alcoholic drink somewhere warm would be a positive.  
Callum made his way down the steps of the club and opened the doors. It had to be said that it was slightly quieter in there but at least it wasn't heaving with people. Callum hated busy places. He always felt anxious and on edge.  
He took a seat at the counter on a high stool, slipping the rucksack off of his back and placing it on the floor.  
"What can I get ya?" A man asked.  
His name tag read BILLY.  
Callum picked up a menu. "Uhhhhh." He said, skimming his way through the list of cocktails and trying to find the beer list.  
"Ain't got all day mate." Billy replied, checking the time on his watch.  
Callum raised his eyebrows and stayed silent, looking at the man on the opposite side of the bar.  
"Go on, Bill, you head off home." Another man, younger, patted Billy on the shoulder and gave a small smile to him.  
Callum noticed he wasn't wearing a name badge. Billy took no second telling and headed out the back to collect his things before rushing off upstairs.  
"Sorry 'bout that. His kid ain't well. He's been begging to go for hours." The man bent down, still talking to Callum but his back was to him. Callum kept his eyes on him, nodding his reply even though the man wasn't even looking at him.  
The man placed a bottle of beer on the coaster in front of Callum. "On the house. For Billy's lack of customer service skills." He said with a smile.  
"Thanks." Callum smiled. He was so taken in by the man that he'd completely forgotten why he'd come to this bar in the first place.  
"I'm looking for my brother. Stuart. Stuart Highway?" Callum said, taking a sip of the beer. He noted how good it was. Just his type.  
"You've just missed him, I'm afraid. Headed off for a few weeks or something. Dunno where or what for." The man said with a shrug.  
A female stood beside Callum, waiting to be served. Before Callum could continue the conversation, the man focused on her, smiling.  
"You alright, Lo?" He said.  
The blonde nodded, placing her empty glass on the counter.  
"What you doin' behind here? Thought the office was your sanctuary these days?" The woman said with a head tilt.  
"Billy had to rush off home... I... the wonderful human being that I am... decided to work the bar myself."  
"Wonderful human being and Ben Mitchell are never usually used in the same sentence." Lo replied with a smirk.  
Ben. This man's name was Ben.  
"Shut it, you." Ben replied, handing her a drink. She grinned an angelic grin and kissed the air with an over exaggerated kissing sound before turning on her heel and walking back to her table.  
"Sorry. Mother of my kid. What can ya do, ay?" Ben shook his head, turning his attention back to Callum.  
Callum was deflated. His brother was MIA, he had no where to stay and his options were severely dwindling down.  
"Wassup with your face?" Ben asked with a frown being illuminated by the blue neon lights that danced to the beat of the track playing out loud.  
"Oh nothin', it's alright. Don't mind me." Callum wasn't drinking his beer now. He was spinning the bottle between his thumb and his forefinger, trying to think of a plan.  
"This might sound mad but... d'ya want a job... here?" Ben asked.  
Callum looked up with surprise.  
"I figure you'll want to wait until Stuart comes back and god knows when that will be so... if you want a job here until then...? It's up to you. It'll help me out a great deal. These delicate hands ain't no good making cocktails and collecting glasses." Ben held his hands out dramatically, making Callum chuckle.  
"Are you sure? Won't the owner mind?" He asked.  
Ben laughed out loud. "I am the owner." Ben shrugged. Callum smiled.  
"That would be really great, thank you." He said, getting his wallet out to pay for the beer.  
"Put that away. This one is on me. First day here and all that, can't be thinking your new boss is an asshole." Ben said, making Callum laugh. "So yeah. Start tomorrow. Get here for eleven so we can show you the ropes before the lunchtime rush."  
Callum nodded.  
"Thank you, Ben." He said, sincerely.  
"That's alright.... uh... what's your name?" Ben laughed.  
"Oh... shit... yeah. I'm Callum."  
"Welcome to Walford, Callum." Ben said, shaking the man's hand.


	2. A Proposition

Callum nodded, intently watching Ben as he ran through how to use the till for the second time that day.   
Just to be sure.  
Callum hated messing up and he really needed this job. He couldn't put a foot wrong.  
"Got it?" Ben asked.   
He seemed irritated.   
Callum nodded again.  
"Okay. Doors open in around ten minutes so we should be getting the lunch time lot in." Ben cracked his neck in preparation.  
Callum hoped he wouldn't be rushed off his feet. Then he really would make a mistake.  
"Where did you sleep last night?" Ben asked, suddenly.  
Callum blinked at the question, not expecting it.  
"Uh.... I slept-" He was cut off by the sound of Billy walking into the room.   
"Hi." He said, smiling at both of them.   
"Bill, great you're here. And punctual as ever." Callum couldn't be sure if Ben was being sarcastic or not. "This is Callum. He's starting today to... ease your workload. I've shown him the basics but as you know, the bar is not my stage, so if you could show him the rest, that will be wonderful. I will be in the office, if you need me."   
And with that, Ben was gone.   
Almost in the blink of an eye.  
"Right. Cocktails. Has his highness showed ya any?" Billy asked as he attached his name badge to his shirt.  
Callum shook his head. Billy groaned.  
"Fabulous. Right. The basics...." Billy grabbed the glasses and juices and turned his back to Callum, shuffling around with laminated sheets of paper.  
"The menu. The goods. The kit." He used both hands to point to each of the items in front of him. "It ain't rocket science, and when you know, you know. It's just about not dropping anything, not spilling anything and not losing profits." Billy instructed, handing Callum the laminated menu to read through. "Get reading that and I'll make some up to show ya." He said.

A few hours later and Callum was doing well, for his first shift. He had given the correct change, used the card machine without breaking it and hadn't dropped a single glass. He was proud of himself.  
"Call, Ben wants to see ya." Billy said when the rush died down.  
"In the office?" Callum asked. Billy nodded his reply, wiping the bar down with a cloth.  
Callum headed to the office, unsure whether to knock on the door or not. Was that too formal? Was he supposed to just walk in?   
He knocked twice and then walked in. Best of both worlds.  
"You wanted to see me?" Callum said.   
Ben looked up from his laptop on the desk and nodded his head towards the chair opposite him.  
Callum felt nervous. Was he going to fire him? Tell him he'd done a shit job?   
This was all very Sir Alan Sugar and he was on The Apprentice.   
Ben closed the lid on his laptop, folding his hands over the top and looking at Callum, silently.  
"You did well today. I'm impressed." He said after what felt like an eternity.  
"Thanks." Callum was genuinely pleased. It was a relief.  
"I called you in here because you didn't answer my question earlier." Ben said, pushing himself back in his wheely chair to place his feet on the desk top.  
"What question?" Callum asked.  
"About where you slept last night." Ben's frown was deep in his forehead.  
Callum looked down at his hands in his lap, picking at the skin on the side of his thumb.  
"I... uh... I slept in the alley. Next to the pub." He almost whispered.  
Ben nodded. "I know. I saw ya. Went to get some milk this morning from the Minute Mart and there ya were." He tried not to look amused.  
"Look.... I'm just... concerned. You can't come to work after sleeping in an alleyway and if Mick's Mother caught ya, she'd kill ya."   
Callum looked confused.  
"Mick... he owns the Queen Vic. And Shirley is his Mother and she's a bit of a bulldog. She'd have you strung up and quartered if she came across you snoozin' in the alley." Ben smirked.   
Callum's cheeks flushed pink.  
"Yeah, it's just... I thought once I found my brother I'd have a roof over my head. Somewhere to live. Obviously he isn't here so..." He shrugged slightly, not looking Ben in the eyes.  
"You can stay at mine." Ben said, simply. Callum's mouth opened to argue but Ben held up a hand.  
"I won't take no for an answer. You can't come to work after sleeping in an alley where countless drunks have pissed and been sick. Imagine what my reputation would be like if word got out. And health and safety would have a field day...." Ben shook his head and shuddered dramatically.  
"You can start off living rent free until you pick up your wages and tips here but by then, Stuart will be home anyway." Ben said.   
Callum was thankful. SO thankful.  
"Now. Go get yourself a shower and take an hour's break, have a kip and come back for tonight's shift, alright?" Ben said, handing over his key.  
Callum took it from him but stayed seated.  
Ben looked at him as if to say, get a move on.  
"I... don't know where you live." Callum said.  
Ben laughed out loud.  
"Come on then, I'll have to show you." He said, standing up and grabbing his coat from the hanger beside his desk.


End file.
